Glasgow Update: Boom!

Ahoy!


It's been a while since I've shared about what has actually been going on in my life during my time in Glasgow, so I thought that I would share what I've been doing (or what God's been doing) so that my friends and family outside of Glasgow can be informed. Well, I assume they are interested in what I've been doing. If you find this blog irrelevant and mundane, please let me know!


University has been becoming increasingly more of a challenge and struggle. Although I love every moment of it, the pressure of attending lectures and tutorials and keeping up with various assignments has made things a lot more difficult. By the grace of God I have been keeping up to standard (I think) but I'm struggling to remain motivated, especially with Christmas just around the corner. I know for certain that this course is perfect for me, especially after hearing about the amount of work that young mathematicians, physicians, engineers, optometrists, lawyers, etc. have to do. I love essays :)


Working the overnight position at Hollister has become such a joy. As the job in itself is quite monotonous, the only way in which we persevere is by holding onto the concept of having sheer amounts of banter, most notably the A Cappella outbursts with Jordan and Dez. Although we've had some late nights (finishing at any time between 11pm and 4am) it has been great craic, and the opportunity to serve and help out my colleagues by sharing the workload has been amazing. The job also grants me time to think and to pray, whether during work or on the walk to and from the shop. It also fits in perfectly with my university schedule, although attending a 9 o'clock tutorial after working until 3 the night before becomes such a chore :(


I can only speak of fondness and celebrate in regards to the friendship I have experienced in Glasgow over the past 2 months. I wish to thank all of you; the madmen in Cairncross House, the brothers and sisters I've met through Christian Union, the overnight team at Hollister, the folks at West End Vineyard and Queens Park Baptist Church and especially the Pert Family whose hospitality and generosity have been second to none. Words cannot describe how thankful I am of the friendships I share with all of you. If there's anything I can do to help you out in any way please let me know; I'm here to serve! :)


It would be great to keep in contact with those whom I have strayed away from since I moved to Glasgow. Please do not hesitate to email me on jbowermusic@gmail.com. Please send me your postal address as I love writing letters! 


Looking forward to hearing from some of you,


Shalom in Christ, 
J

Who's in Control?

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
1Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honour, 5not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.8Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.


How often in our everyday lives do we hear the the phrase  "I couldn't control myself". It can be heard in a variety of different contexts, e.g. shopping, indulging in various foods or drinks, being under the influence of alcohol, etc. It seems that instead of practising self-control we are willing to let certain external aspects of our lives have authority over what we do.When Paul tells us to 'control our own body' it seems as if he is insinuating that we have granted the opportunity for other aspects of our lives to take control.  The following is a brief list of the things which I feel have great control over our actions in our day to day lives:

• Lust - In the passage from 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 above, Paul uses this notion of self-control in the context of sexual immorality. How much care is taken in our lives as to how we look, how we act towards people or what we practice in regards to our relationships with the opposite sex. How often are our actions influenced by our fleshly desires and not by that of the Spirit? (See Romans 8:1-16, Galations 5:16-28)
• Addiction - When we hear the word 'addiction', what do we instantly think of? Alcohol? Drugs? Pornography? In fact, anything in our life can become an addiction or an 'idol' in regards to Biblical teaching. I have seen people who have become addicted to television, video games,  sports, music, boyfriends/girlfriends, coffee, etc. The list is endless, yet each of these have the potential to become an idol, getting in the way of our relationships with family, friends but most of all God. The Enemy will use these idols to take control of our lives, so we should be willing to give up everything  which is finite in order to follow the infinite Jesus Christ. (See Exodus 20:4-6, Romans 1:18-25)
• The masks that we wear - This is quite a fitting subject as we emerge from the season of Halloween. What do we want people to see when they look at us? How many of our actions are influenced by the person that we wish to portray ourselves to be. We wish to portray ourselves to be strong when we our weak, that we know much about a particular subject to seem intelligent when in fact we our ignorant towards it, that we walk in the Spirit when we in secret still indulge in the desires of the flesh. Our actions are often controlled by the opinions that we desire from those around us. Jesus uses the word 'hypocrite' to describe the practices of the Pharisees, stemming from the Greek hypokritḗs meaning a stage actor, hence one who pretends to be what he is not. Are we under the control of the part that we play in society or the actor himself/herself? (See Matthew 6)

I have often had conversations with non-Believers who say that they are free to do what they want, that they are 'their own God'. When I look at the world I can only see chaos. I see people bound by the idols that they worship, outside of and within the Church. The only freedom that we can experience is that which is found in Jesus Christ - 'For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery' (Galatians 5:1). 

Paul tells us that it is the will of God that each of us should aim to to control his own body in holiness and honour. By submitting to the will of God, we are breaking the control that the Enemy tries to exert over our lives. After God favours Abel's sacrifice of Cain's, He says to Cain in Genesis 4:6-7, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it". Satan's desire is to take control of our lives by taking our eyes off God and onto the worship of idols. We must be aware of the idols that take control of our decisions, so that all of our thoughts, words and deeds will be in the glorification of God who is blessed forever! Amen.

God Bless you all,

J

Heavenly Father, I pray that you will break any idols in our lives that affect our relationship with You. Allow us to exercise control over our bodies in a way which is holy and honourable to You and make known to us Your will for our lives. Forgive us for making idols of the gifts that you have given us. May we put you as the centre of our lives, allowing you to take the crown as King of our hearts. Amen

What If The Church Was A Franchise?

Good day, all :)


This afternoon I ventured into Subway in order to enjoy the £2.99 Student Value Meal (which may sustain me through the duration of my undergraduate degree). As I approached the counter I realised that the features of that specific branch were almost identical to every other Subway that I have entered. I reckon that as it is part of a franchise, they expect a customer to experience a similar service every time they enter a Subway branch. They normally offer identical services such as:

• The menu and price list
• The ingredients used in sandwiches and snacks
• The questions asked by the employee - "Which bread would you like?","Any salads/sauces?", etc.
• The décor of the restaurant - Tables, chairs, wallpaper, etc.
•  The crisps and drinks available
• etc...

As the 'Sandwich Artist' prepared my Italian BMT I pondered to myself, what if the Church resembled a franchise? What if at every meeting on any given Sunday;

• The order of service was exactly the same
• The same songs were sung 
• The same reading was spoken from only one translation of the Bible 
• The same sermon was preached
• The same events were to happen throughout the week

Imagine that there was a central body that decided what the Church was to do (in response to the Holy Spirit)? I recognise that certain denominations partly resemble this notion, but let's hyperbolize  for the moment. What if there was total control over the meetings of every congregation that met to worship the LORD?

What would the benefits of such an institution be? Does God intend for the Church to be organised in this way? Should there be such diversity when it comes to worshipping God? Is this notion just preposterous? 

It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on this matter. Please feel free to comment below, or to email me at jbowermusic@gmail.com 

God Bless,

J

P.S. I'll be in Bangor from Thursday-Sunday of this week. Give me a shout if you would like to meet up.

Hollister and Deep-fried Mars Bars

Hey everybody :)


I've been living in Glasgow for almost two weeks now and have thoroughly enjoyed it. It has been a combination of great company, the buzz of freshers' week and specific culinary delights (such as scotch pies and deep-fried mars bars) that has made my experience so pleasurable. I have a feeling that the local Morrisons and my recent acquisition of a Starbucks card will get me through first year just grand :)


Freshers' week was absolutely hectic! There was a plethora of different events; club nights, eating/drinking competitions, games, tours, open mic nights, etc. so it was quite hard to make a choice as to where to go. The best times, however, were spent in each other's kitchens and rooms where we were actually able to get to know each other and build friendships. Highlights of freshers' week include:

• Pendulum DJ Set
• Ministry of Sound
• Watching Father Ted until 3am ("The Pope? He's no friend of mine!" - Haha, Classic)
• Dancing like a complete eejit
• Watching the All-Ireland GAA Final at Waxy O'Connor's (although £4.30 for a Magners? Saunter on!)
• Boiling an energy drink until it turned black :S
• Playing Livin' On A Prayer at open mic and getting the whole room to sing :)

Lectures commenced on Monday morning. Theology has been quite interesting so far. In my 'Introduction to the Bible' module, my lecturer compared Jesus' big trip to Jerusalem the 1st Century equivalent to going to LA to snort cocaine with Paris Hilton. It's been very interesting, yet challenging so far. I'm sure that my faith and confidence in God will be strengthened as a result of the course so I'm happy as Larry. My Hebrew module is absolutely class! We have already learnt the consonantal  'Alephbeth' and are moving onto vowels soon. In Philosophy we have been studying Descartes' Meditations and also the whole idea of 'arguments'. My music hasn't really began yet but I'm looking forward to joining a society or two. 

So far, Philosophy has been my favourite subject but I shall let you know how I'm getting on in the near future.

I had my orientation shift today for the new Hollister store opening at Buchanan Galleries. I had a great time meeting my fellow colleagues and getting to know all about the job. I'm going to be working as the 'overnight' position (with the rest of the munters) which means that I'll be working after the shop closes (from 6-11), making sure that the shop is in good condition for the next day. It'll be a lot more relaxed and better craic than working during the day and I will get paid £8.50 per hour after 8.30pm! Beaut ;)

Recently my heart has been set on West End Vineyard Church. Everybody that I've met there has been really friendly and welcoming as I was invited out for lunch after Sunday's meeting and also to the pub on Sunday night. I should hopefully be joining a small group once my schedule becomes more regular so please pray that God leads me to the right one. I shall also be attending morning and Eucharist services at the University chapel, my first experiences within the Church of Scotland. 

Recently, life has been really enjoyable (mainly due to a lengthy phone call with Samuel James McConnell). Please pray that God will lead me to the right people/groups and will build strong, spirit-filled relationships with Christians in the area. I have had some great conversations with people about Jesus and, especially in Philosophy, the possibility of the existence of God is on many peoples minds. Pray that the seeds that are planted into these individuals' lives will grow and bear fruit. Pray for the Christian Union and the various groups meeting in the halls of residence. 

I shall leave you with two videos. The first of which is an awareness test which our philosophy lecturer showed us today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4

The second, which is of more importance, is of a story of a miracle which was performed in the streets of Glasgow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cif7nsZr-c

God Bless :)

J

University Experience Begins :)

Hope you're all keeping well :)


Yesterday, Mum and I took the trek up to Glasgow from Leeds so that I could move into halls and officially begin my Uni experience. I left Leeds with about 3 times as much luggage as I arrived with (most of which is still lying in a pile on the floor waiting to be packed away). I've loved every moment that I've spent here so far. Everybody I've met so far has been really friendly and welcoming, especially the guys that I share a kitchen with. Freshers' week starts tomorrow so I've got a busy few days ahead of me. 


I attended two churches today. I really enjoyed them both and met some great people. I feel really drawn to the house group meetings that are linked with West End Vineyard but I'll let you know what's happening. I'm planning on heading to some of the CU events as well this week to get a feel of what sort of stuff goes on at it. was chatting to a few guys today who seem passionate about meeting up every once and while for prayer and worship and to encourage each other in our faith so please pray into that :)


I would like to close this post with lyrics from a Charles Wesley hymn entitled, 'Love Divine'. It was recently adapted by the band Rend Collective Experiment and has really been on my heart for the past wee while. Special thanks to Richard McGarvey for introducing it to me :)


Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit,
Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its Beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return and never,
Never more Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.

Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
'Til in heaven we take our place,
'Til we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise. 


I love how many of the older hymns conclude with a verse/stanza on the experience of entering into Heaven. It helps to convey the anticipation of finally standing face-to-face with our Creator, 'lost in wonder, love, and praise' :)


May the Lord bless you and keep you all,
J

Bible In One Hand, Knitting Needles In The Other

Howdy folks!


Just a wee update to let you know how I'm getting on. Since leaving Bangor over 2 weeks ago I have been living in Leeds with my mother and her friends Bryan, Gwen and Emerald. It's been absolutely fantastic to take a few weeks away from pretty much all responsibilities and distractions and to take time in study, prayer and meditation before the Lord (as well as making plans for University life). I feel very blessed to be able to spend time with such magnificent people in a Spirit-filled household. I'm going to miss it very much when I leave :(


Gwen has also been teaching me how to knit. I recently completed knitting my first scarf (a picture of which has been included below). I like to think that my reason for taking up knitting was for spiritual purposes such as patience and perseverance; however, I think that I just liked the idea of being able to knit. 

This Saturday I'll be heading up to Glasgow to move into my room at Cairncross House, one of the University of Glasgow's halls of residence. Freshers Week begins on the 13th and classes commence on the 20th. I'm so excited to finally be a university student. For the first year I'm to study 3 subjects - Music, Theology and Philosophy then I drop one in my second year and for my third and forth year I can choose to focus on 1 subject or to continue with the 2. I feel so blessed to be able to study the three subjects that I'm most passionate about, yet my heart still goes out to those who were unable to enter into a course that they had really wanted to get into. My prayers go out to you all.

Do I miss Bangor already? Yes and no. I'm so excited to be entering into a new chapter in my life with new people, places and experiences. However, I do miss my friends and family in Bangor. I love you all, and I do hope that you keep in touch.

Please pray for me as I move up to Glasgow. Pray that I meet godly people, get involved with a spirit-filled church and that I'll be shielded from Satan's fiery darts. Pray for all of us who are heading to University, that we will spend our lives devoted to serving God and His people, striving to become conformed to the image of Christ. 

Blessings,

J

The Promises of God

Proverbs 30:5 - 'Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.'


Joshua 21:45 - 'Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.'


2 Corinthians 1:20 - 'For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.'


I love how definite these verses are - 'every word of God', 'all came to pass', 'all the promises of God'. I know in my life I find it hard to trust the promises of God contained in the Bible; however, I find these verses really encouraging. I feel that God is simply telling me "Just trust me. I won't let you down."


My challenge for you is that you read the promises contained within the Bible and ask yourself whether or not you truly believe that it will come to pass. Here are a few to set you off:


Jeremiah 29:11 - 'For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.'


Matthew 11:29-30 - 'Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.'


John 10:27-29 - 'My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.'


Many Blessings,
Jay